Pole beans

[Zeedman]

Originally Posted by efisakov

I am growing beans for the first time. We would like to add them to a salad raw. So, string beans would be preferable. I am growing tendergreen bush improved, taste and production is fine. My DH does not like it for a reason that its pods does not have smooth skin.
Please help. I need few names of the bush and pole beans that have smooth pods.
Thank you.

If you are open to growing pole varieties, I could suggest a couple that are really good raw. Goldmarie is a pole wax, with very long flat pods (up to 10-11"); very sweet & tender raw. I sliced some of the pods thinly into a summer salad, but for the most part, just enjoyed eating them fresh. The "filet" beans are round-podded, stringless & were bred to be picked when long & thin. Fortex is probably the best tasting of the pole filet beans, but Emerite is more reliable (and IMO more productive).